By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
Retired senior officers from four paramilitary agencies have commended President Bola Tinubu for approving a lifetime salary structure for senior personnel of the services.
The former heads of the agencies paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Wednesday in Abuja to personally express their gratitude.
The delegation included retired senior officers from the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Federal Fire Service, and the Nigerian Correctional Service.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, President Tinubu’s approval covers a lifetime salary package for retired Controllers-General, Commandants-General, Comptrollers-General, and Deputy Comptrollers-General of the paramilitary agencies.
Speaking on behalf of the group, retired NIS Comptroller-General Chukwura Udeh said the visit was intended to convey their deep appreciation to President Tinubu through the interior minister.
Udeh noted that the issue of post-retirement benefits had been a long-standing challenge unresolved by previous administrations.
“On our behalf, kindly extend our appreciation to Mr. President. Although this approval may seem simple, we went through immense difficulty before now. We were abandoned midway by other ministers, but we will always remember that you have helped humanity,” Udeh said.
In his response, Minister Tunji-Ojo, speaking on behalf of the Federal Government, thanked the retired personnel for their years of service to the nation.
The minister reaffirmed that the welfare of uniformed personnel remains a top priority for the President.
“Mr. President believes in the Renewed Hope agenda as a way of life. You do not build a nation by infrastructure alone, but also by building the people. He does not see your welfare as a slogan but as a way of life. This is the least you deserve, having sacrificed the better part of your years. We must never allow you, in your old age, to regret the decisions of your youth to serve Nigeria,” Tunji-Ojo said.
